Mop



United States Patent O 3,077,627 MOP Bonnie A. Ashworth, Saybrook, Ill. Filed Apr. 21, 1960, Ser. No. 23,732 4 Claims. (Cl. 15-228) f This invention relates to disposable mops and more particularly to a combination of a mop pad holder and disposable mop pad adapted for use on floors or other surfaces to be cleaned. l

It is a common expedient to cleanse surfaces and ab-v sorb 4the cleaning agents, which have incorporated therein the dirt and impurities from the surface, in the spongelike or other absorbent surface of a mop. yIn conducting this procedure the absorbent surface of the mop becomes quite soiled. This soiling generally occurs quite rapidly at the periphery of the pad, as it is pushed or pulled across the surface to be cleaned because :the pad only contacts the cleaning solution at its periphery with the inner portions of the pad remaining clean. Consequently, the mop pad must 4be cleaned vfrequently and replacement is required when only the peripheral .portions of the mop head become worn or so deteriorated as to lose required absorbent qu'alities. Cleaning the pad 'is an arduous task while replacing the pad is not only expensive but necessitates releasing the pad from the holder, usually bolted or stapled thereto, with the unavoidable soiling of the operatorshands.

'It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a novel disposable mop pad which in operation becomes soiled at an even rate throughout 4its entire absorbent surface area thus decreasing the time between required cleaning and materially extending its useful life.

Another object is to provide a mop pad holder with a disposable pad which is inexpensive and from which the disposable mop pad may be easily released without soiling the hands of the operator.

Other objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings which show an embodiment of the invention. It is to be expressly understood that the drawings are designed for purposes of illustration only and not as a deiinition of the limits of the invention, reference for the latter purpose being had to the appended claims.

In the drawing in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the mop structure of the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the mop pad holding structure with the handle removed;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the absorbent surfaoe of the mop pad;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view along the line 5 5 of IFIG. l.

In general, the present invention provides a mop pad holder with a substantially elongated horizontal U shaped pad holding member and an inexpensive disposable pad member having an essentially wallie shaped absorbent surface easily attachable and detachable from the holder.

Referring to the drawings, a mop structure embodying principles of the present invention is shown including an elongated handle attached to the mop holder portion 11 by screw socket 12. As shown in FIG. 2, the mop holder portion 11 comprises a substantially rigid sheet bent in a substantially U shape having an upper portion 13 and a lower portion 14, the upper and lower portions being joined by a U bend portion 15 in parallel spaced relation. The mop structure includes a mop pad 16 illus- 3,077,627 Patented Feb. 19, 1963 trated in detail in FIGS. 3 and 4. As shown, the mop pad 16 comprises an absorbent pad 17 having a lower surface yportion 18 of esentially waffle-shaped pattern presenting a plurality of iioor contact areas 19 spaced by .flow passages or channels 20 crisscrossing the surface 18.' The'pad 17 also includes a substantially even upper surface 21 having attached at its longitudinal edges 22 an overlay 23 of thin sheet material p-resenting 'with the surface 21a passage 24.v y

The ,manner inwhich the labsorbent mop pad 17 is attached'to the holder portion is shown in FIG. 5. As shown, the free end of the lower portion 14 of the mop pad holder portion is inserted into the passage 24 with the pad 17. underlying the underside of the lower portion 14 and with the overlay sheet 22 interposed between the upper and lower portions 13 and 14, respectively. The U bend portion 15 acts as a stop and the passage 24 may be sized to provide a snug t with the portion 14 or the space between the upper and lower portions 13 and 14; The U-shaped holder has a resiliency such that, when pressure is applied to' the holder by the handle, the legs of the holder are pressed' toward eachother to grasp the mop pad therebetween to prevent the -mop pad from slippingon the holder. l

The handle 1:10 may be of any conventional material such as wood, plastic or metal. Similarly, the mop pad holder structure may be formed of plastic, sheet metal, wood, papier mache or heavy cardboard. Since both the handle and holder portions are permanent, only the absorbent mop pad, being disposable, need be made of very inexpensive materials. For the absorbent .mop pad it is preferred to utilize an absorbent paper such as the types used in facial tissues or paper towels although any absorbent iibrous material may be utilized. The overlay sheet 22 may be similarly of paper, although any plastic sheet such as polyethylene may be used.

When the instant device is utilized a clean absorbent pad is placed on the holder portion 11 in the manner described above. The mop is then directed by the handle over the area to be cleaned in a conventional manner. During the cleaning operation, Water or other cleaning solution passes through the channels 20 in the absorbent pad and is absorbed on all of the contact areas 19 of said pad. The water flows through all of the channels 20 not only because they present paths of least resistance, but also because of capillary attraction and by suction created when the mop pad is pressed against the floor and then released in accordance with usual techniques.

The provision of a pad of waie-shaped pattern including a plurality of oor contact areas 19 spaced by diow passageways 20 not only permits the cleaning solution to contact simultaneously a greater portion of the non-ilow `surface of the pad but provides a pad in which substantially the total floor contacting area Iof the pad is allowed to perform a oor cleaning or mopping function. This results in more eicient cleaning and decreases the cleaning periods and increases the life of the mop head.

When the entire pad is soiled, the operator merely lifts the mop structure, pulls off the soiled pad by gripping the overlay sheet or pushes the pad off and replaces i-t with a fresh clean one.

Modifications of the instant device are numerous. For example, the handle may be attached to the mop pad holding portion by other means such as bolts or friction sockets. Also, the mop pad holder may be modiiied by placing the edges of the upper and lower portions opposite the U bend in such a position that they will apply a slight pressure on the overlay sheet of the mop pad when it is inserted in the holder. This will act an as additional retention means for the mop pad and will operate in conjunction with the U bend to hold the pad.

From the above description it will be apparent that the mop pad and holder therefor will permit easy, sanitary and complete cleaning of surfaces without incurring considerable expense or expending great energies by the operator. `In View of its easily disposable pad portion, this mop is well suited for general household cleaning. It is uniquely beneficial for such environments as hospitals or clinics where sanitary conditions must be maintained. For these latter uses, the mop pad may easily be impregnated with sanitizing agents such as dsinfectants.

Although only one embodiment of the invention has lbeen described, it is to be expressly understood v.that various modifications may lbe made therein, as discussed above, without departing yfrom the spirit of the invention. Reference therefor will be had to the appended claims for a defini-tion of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A mop comprising a mop pad holder of` U-shaped configuration with one leg overlying the otherleg when the mop is in operative position on a horizontal surface, said other leg comprising a fiat rectangular member of a length substantially greater than its width, means interconnecting the legs of the U-shaped holder at` one end of the length of said rectangular member, a disposable mop pad inthe form of a sleeve slidablelengthwise onto said rectangular member from the end of said rectangular member opposite said means, said means providing a stop to limit sliding movement of the sleeve vonto said rectangular member, and a mop handle secured to said one leg on the side of said one leg Vopposite said other leg and midway of the length of said other leg, the U-shaped holder providing a rigid frame for the mop pad but having a resiliency such that when pressure is applied to the holder by the handle the legs of the holder are pressed toward each other to grasp the mop pad between them to Iprevent the mop pad from slipping on the holder and such that when ythe holder is free from pressure the mop pad can be readily removed and replaced.

2. A mop as claimed in claim 1, said handle lying in a plane `which is perpendicular to the plane and to the length of said rectangular member, said handle being disposed at an acute angle to the plane of said rectangular member.

3. A mop as claimed in claim 1, said rectangular member being in 4the form of a plate.

4. A mop as claimed -in claim 3, said one leg being in the form of a plate of substantially the same length and width as said rectangular member.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 16,137 Allen Dec. 2, 1856 416,184 Riddle Dec. 3, 1889 1,364,886 Phare Jan. ll, 1921 1,423,415 Glass July 18, 1922 2,347,169 Bennett Apr. 25, 1944 2,574,643 VKersh V V. Nov. 13, 1951 2,673,364 ,Diveley t Mar. 30, 1954 2,804,729 Dahlstrom Sept. 3, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 761,362 vFrance Jan. 3, 1934 

1. A MOP COMPRISING A MOP PAD HOLDER OF U-SHAPED CONFIGURATION WITH ONE LEG OVERLYING THE OTHER LEG WHEN THE MOP IS IN OPERATIVE POSITION ON A HORIZONTAL SURFACE, SAID OTHER LEG COMPRISING A FLAT RECTANGULAR MEMBER OF A LENGTH SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN ITS WIDTH, MEANS INTERCONNECTING THE LEGS OF THE U-SHAPED HOLDER AT ONE END OF THE LENGTH OF SAID RECTANGULAR MEMBER, A DISPOSABLE MOP PAD IN THE FORM OF A SLEEVE SLIDABLE LENGTHWISE ONTO SAID RECTANGULAR MEMBER FROM THE END OF SAID RECTANGULAR MEMBER OPPOSITE SAID MEANS, SAID MEANS PROVIDING A STOP TO LIMIT SLIDING MOVEMENT OF THE SLEEVE ONTO SAID RECTANGULAR MEMBER, AND A MOP HANDLE SECURED TO SAID ONE LEG ON THE SIDE OF SAID ONE LEG OPPOSITE SAID OTHER LEG AND MIDWAY OF THE LENGTH OF SAID OTHER LEG, THE U-SHAPED HOLDER PROVIDING A RIGID FRAME FOR THE MOP PAD BUT HAVING A RESILIENCY SUCH THAT WHEN PRESSURE IS APPLIED TO THE HOLDER BY THE HANDLE THE LEGS OF THE HOLDER ARE PRESSED 